Methods and Systems for Determining and Using Characteristics of Network Carriers in Connection with Access Requests

Abstract

A server system receives, from a first user device through a first network carrier, a request to access content. One or more characteristics of the first network carrier are determined from the request, including at least one of an identity of the first network carrier and a network type of the first network carrier. The determining includes performing a look-up using information from the request. Furthermore, the server system performs at least one of: (1) storing the determined one or more characteristics in association with the first user device in a first data structure, where the first data structure specifies, for multiple user devices, at least an identity of associated network carriers and a network type; and (2) providing access to requested content, which includes content customized based on the determined one or more characteristics.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 at a server system having one or more processors and memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors:
 receiving, from a first user device through a first network carrier, a request to access content; 
 determining one or more characteristics of the first network carrier from the request, including at least one of an identity of the first network carrier and a network type of the first network carrier, the determining comprising performing a look-up using information from the request; and 
 performing at least one of:
 storing the determined one or more characteristics of the first network carrier in association with the first user device in a first data structure, the first data structure specifying, for a plurality of user devices including the first user device, at least one of an identity of an associated network carrier and a network type of the associated network carrier; and 
 providing access to the requested content, wherein the requested content includes content that is customized based on the determined one or more characteristics of the first network carrier. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the information from the request includes a network address associated with the request, and   performing the look-up comprises identifying the network address in a second data structure provided by a first network carrier, the second data structure specifying a plurality of network addresses associated with the first network carrier.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the information from the request includes identifying information stored in a subscriber identity module (SIM) of the first user device, and   performing the look-up comprises identifying, based on the identifying information, the one or more characteristics of the first network carrier from a third data structure, the third data structure specifying, for respective identifying information stored in SIMs of a plurality of user devices, one or more respective characteristics of associated network carriers.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the identifying information stored in the SIM of the first user device includes at least one of:
 a subscriber identity within a network of the first network carrier, wherein the subscriber identity is associated with the first user device, and   a device identifier uniquely associated with the first user device.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the information from the request includes a Home Network Identifier (HNI), and   performing the look-up comprises identifying, based on the HNI, the one or more characteristics of the first network carrier from a fourth data structure, the fourth data structure specifying, for multiple HNIs, one or more respective characteristics of associated network carriers.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the information from the request includes information specifying a Mobile Network Code (MNC) and a Mobile Country Code (MCC), and   performing the look-up comprises identifying, based on the MNC and MCC, the one or more characteristics of the first network carrier from a fifth data structure, the fifth data structure specifying, for multiple sets of MNCs and MCCs, one or more respective characteristics of associated network carriers.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the information from the request includes an Autonomous System Number (ASN), and   performing the look-up comprises identifying, based on the ASN, the one or more characteristics of the first network carrier from a sixth data structure, the sixth data structure specifying, for a plurality of ASNs, one or more respective characteristics of associated network carriers.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from an application on the first user device that is associated with a service provided by the server system. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from an application on the first user device that is not associated with a service provided by the server system. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the performing comprises providing access to the requested content including the content that is customized; and   the content that is customized includes content provided to subscribers of the first network carrier that is at least partially distinct from content provided to subscribers of a second network carrier.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the content that is customized includes at least one advertisement provided to subscribers of the first network carrier but not to subscribers of the second network carrier. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the content that is customized includes a user-interface element provided for display to subscribers of the first network carrier but not to subscribers of the second network carrier. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the customized content includes content provided in connection with accessing services available to subscribers of the first network carrier but not the second network carrier. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request to access content is a current request, and determining the one or more characteristics of the first network carrier comprises:
 determining that the information from the request is further associated with one or more characteristics of a second network carrier;   determining that one or more previous requests to access content received from the first user device through the first network carrier satisfy a threshold; and   in response to determining that the one or more previous requests satisfy the predefined threshold, associating the current request to access content with the one or more characteristics of the first network carrier.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the performing comprises the storing;   the method further comprises determining that the one or more characteristics of the first network carrier are at least partially inconsistent with information for the first user device provided by the first network carrier; and   the storing comprises replacing the information for the first user device provided by the first network carrier with the determined one or more characteristics.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 determining the one or more characteristics comprises implementing a plurality of characteristic-determination techniques, wherein the implementing comprises performing a respective look-up using information from the request for each of the plurality of techniques; and   the performing comprises the storing, wherein the storing comprises associating the first user device with:
 the respective information used to implement each of the plurality of techniques; and 
 the one or more determined characteristics. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of characteristic-determination techniques has a respective ranking; and   implementing the plurality of techniques is performed in accordance with the rankings.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of techniques comprises a first technique having a first ranking and a second technique having a second ranking that is lower than the first ranking, and implementing the plurality of techniques in accordance with the associated rankings comprises:
 implementing the first technique;   detecting whether the one or more characteristics of the first network carrier were determined by implementing the first technique;   in accordance with detecting that the one or more characteristics were not determined by implementing the first technique, implementing the second technique to obtain the one or more characteristics of the first network carrier; and   in accordance with detecting that the one or more characteristics were determined by implementing the first technique, foregoing implementation of the second technique.   
     
     
         19 . A server system, comprising:
 a processor; and   memory storing one or more programs for execution by the processor, the one or more programs including instructions for:
 receiving, from a first user device through a first network carrier, a request to access content; 
 determining one or more characteristics of the first network carrier from the request, including at least one of an identity of the first network carrier and a network type of the first network carrier, the determining comprising performing a look-up using information from the request; and 
 performing at least one of:
 storing the determined one or more characteristics of the first network carrier in association with the first user device in a first data structure, the first data structure specifying, for a plurality of user devices including the first user device, at least one of an identity of an associated network carrier and a network type of the associated network carrier; and 
 providing access to the requested content, wherein the requested content includes content that is customized based on the determined one or more characteristics of the first network carrier. 
 
   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
 receiving, from a first user device through a first network carrier, a request to access content;   determining one or more characteristics of the first network carrier from the request, including at least one of an identity of the first network carrier and a network type of the first network carrier, the determining comprising performing a look-up using information from the request; and   performing at least one of:
 storing the determined one or more characteristics of the first network carrier in association with the first user device in a first data structure, the first data structure specifying, for a plurality of user devices including the first user device, at least one of an identity of an associated network carrier and a network type of the associated network carrier; and 
 providing access to the requested content, wherein the requested content includes content that is customized based on the determined one or more characteristics of the first network carrier.